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ISTANBUL – Sadaf Taherian, a leading Iranian actress, has fled last week to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after facing harsh critique from Iranians for sharing her photos on social media without the traditional Islamic head veil, media reports said on Tuesday.

Dozens of Iranian activists, including government loyalists and extremist Shiites, have launched a campaign criticizing the key actress ــwho released photographs of herself unveiled.

Iranian regime officials described Taherian as “mentally unbalanced”, calling her an “offender” to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Under mounting pressure, Taherian was forced to flee to the UAE last week after being threatened for posting her unveiled pictures on her Facebook and Instagram accounts.

The actress was seemingly protesting the strict Iranian laws that force women to cover their heads in public against their will.

It is believed that dozens of Iranian artists and actresses have fled their country under strict procedures imposed on individual freedoms. Some of them have sought asylum in the west.

Chekame Chaman-Mah, another prominent Iranian actress, has also caused controversy by supporting Taherian through posting her own photos on Instagram with her hair dyed in red. Chaman-Mah is also believed to have fled Iran.

Meanwhile, the Iranian ministry of culture banned both actresses from acting, demanding them to “repent”.

The ministry said in a statement that both women have to apologies to the Iranian people, saying that Taherian and Chaman-Mah “suffer from psychological and personal complexes”.

Last week, the Iranian regime prevented state television from broadcasting the popular Amin series in which Ms Taherian stars. Activists accused the regime of politicizing and cracking down on media.

According to observers, the Iranian society has been mobilized against these actresses by the politicized media in the Islamic Republic of Iran, warning of possible racist and sectarian attacks on artists and every individual opposing the regime.

“I did not expect this to rise Iranians’ ire; I have heard so many insults from my own people,” Taherian said.

“I have nothing to say; I only feel sorry for their negative reaction. I want to live the way that makes me happy,” she concluded.